An Environmental Protection Agency decision could flush millions of dollars out of town coffers for wastewater treatment upgrades, unless Selectmen are successful in contesting the move.

“This could lead to very significant changes for the wastewater treatment plant,” said Town Administrator Paul Dawson. “It would cost millions of dollars. How many millions I can’t say, but it is safe to say a very significant amount of money.”

In December, the agency issued a National Pollution Elimination System permit draft for the treatment facility. Industrial, municipal and agricultural facilities that discharge water into the environment must obtain the permits to operate.

They limit the amount of pollution released, such as toxins, nitrogen, oil, grease and other materials.

As drafted, the permit prohibits the wastewater plant from using its three sewage lagoons.

The decision left town officials slightly baffled because the EPA approved the lagoons nine years ago.

“Now they’re taboo for some reason,” Dawson said.

The lagoons, taking up a 20-acre footprint on the site, store excess wastewater.

When the plant isn’t operating at peak capacity the sewage is pumped into the facility for treatment.

Selectmen and Dawson said the lagoons are an integral part of the wastewater treatment plant.

In a bid to save millions of dollars, Selectmen appropriated $15,000 for the consulting services of Washington D.C.-based law firm Hall & Associates. The high-powered firm specializes in water and environmental litigation.

Initially, the agency’s comment period was set to end Feb. 2. Last week’s massive snowstorm postponed several meetings, including some with Hall & Associates founder John Hall.

“With the travel ban in place we were unable to have several meetings with the consultant engineers and attorneys from John Hall and Associates,” Dawson told Selectmen Tuesday night.

Following the postponements, Dawson received a deadline extension from the Environmental Protection Agency for Friday.

Thursday, in a specially scheduled meeting set for 7 p.m. in the Town House, Selectmen will meet engineers from Camp, Dresser, McKee and Smith Inc. (CDM Smith).

The engineers’ presentation will address the draft permit.

It’s not clear what issues the agency wants addressed, but a previous report filed by the Horsley Witten Group for the Coalition for Buzzards Bay point towards the lagoons lack of a lining.

Without a lining, the sewage lagoons leak approximately one inch of fluid each day, according to a report.

Buzzards Bay Coalition officials noted that an inch a day from acres of wastewater adds up to a significant amount of contaminated water leaching into the ground.

According to the Horsley Witten Group estimated it would cost $3.2 million to fix the lagoons.

Without the permit, the town would be subject to fines or possibly criminal complaints from the EPA.

Once approved, a National Pollution Elimination System permit generally lasts 10 years.

The permits establish monitoring and reporting requirements. The agency monitors compliance with on-site inspections and data review.

Dawson said town officials wouldn’t know for sure when their comments are taken under consideration. It could be a matter of days or much longer before they hear from the federal agency.

“There is no set timetable for the [EPA] to respond,” Dawson said. “Sometimes it takes sixty to ninety days. Sometimes it takes years.”